Nagaland Travel Guide: Where to Go, When to Visit, How to Reach

Photo: Original: Samudra Bikash Hazarika Derivative work: UnpetitproleX, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

Nagaland is the hill state of the Naga peoples, between Assam and Myanmar. Each of its major tribes keeps its own language, dress and festivals, and the state calls itself the Land of Festivals. Travellers come for Kohima and its Second World War history, for village walks, for the Dzukou Valley, and above all for the Hornbill Festival each December.

In Nagaland the calendar is a list of festivals, one tribe at a time.

Where to go

• Kohima: the capital, spread across ridges at the southern end of the state. The Kohima War Cemetery stands on the old tennis court ground, where the Battle of Kohima was fought in 1944.
• Kisama Heritage Village: a short drive south of Kohima, with a morung, or traditional dormitory, built in the style of each tribe. It is the home of the Hornbill Festival.
• Khonoma: an Angami village 25 km from Kohima, known for its terraced rice fields, stone gateways and community care of its forests.
• Dzukou Valley: a high valley of grass and streams on the border with Manipur, reached on foot from villages south of Kohima. Flowers cover the slopes in summer.
• Mokokchung: the main town of the Ao Nagas in the centre of the state, and the place to see Moatsu in May.
• Mon and Longwa: Konyak country in the far north-east. Longwa is a village the Myanmar border runs through, and Aoleang fills the district with dance in April.
• Doyang and Pangti, Wokha: in October and November, huge flocks of migrating Amur falcons roost around the Doyang reservoir.
• Dimapur: the gateway town in the plains, with the carved stone pillars of the old Kachari kingdom.

Main cities

Kohima is the capital, the seat of government and the base for the Hornbill Festival, Khonoma and Dzukou. It is 74 km by road from Dimapur, where the airport and the main railway station are. The other towns are small and each is the heart of a tribal region.

• Dimapur: the commercial town and transport hub, where most journeys into Nagaland begin.
• Chumoukedima: the town between Dimapur and the hills, at the foot of the road up to Kohima.
• Mokokchung: the centre of Ao Naga life, for villages, churches and the Moatsu festival.
• Wokha: the Lotha Naga town, for Doyang and the Amur falcons in autumn.
• Zunheboto: the Sumi Naga town, where Tuluni is celebrated in July.
• Mon: the Konyak town, and the base for Longwa and the villages near the border.
• Tuensang: the largest town of the eastern hills, home to several tribes.
• Phek: the Chakhesang Naga town in the south-east, among terraced fields and hill villages.

Festivals

• Hornbill Festival (1 to 10 December): the state's showcase at Kisama, with dances, games, crafts and food from every tribe. Book rooms months ahead.
• Sekrenyi (25 February): the Angami festival of purification and the new year.
• Aoleang (first week of April): the Konyak spring festival, held over six days after the sowing.
• Moatsu (first week of May): the Ao festival at the end of the sowing season, with feasts, games and bonfires.
• Tuluni (8 July): the Sumi festival of plenty, when families exchange gifts and feasts.

Dates are from the state's festival calendar; villages may hold their own celebrations a little earlier or later.

Food to try

• Smoked pork with bamboo shoot: the signature dish of the hills, slow-cooked until the fat melts.
• Axone: fermented soybean, pungent and deep in flavour, usually cooked with pork.
• Galho: an Angami rice porridge cooked with greens and meat, the comfort food of Kohima.
• Anishi: an Ao dish of fermented, dried yam leaves cooked with pork.
• Raja mircha chutney: a relish of the king chilli, one of the hottest in the world; use a little.

For the hills on the other side of Dzukou, see Manipur.

Stories from Nagaland

• Cities in Nagaland: Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung and Mon to Visit

Plan your visit

Best season	October to May is dry and clear. December brings the Hornbill Festival, from the 1st to the 10th. The monsoon, roughly June to September, brings heavy rain and landslides on hill roads.
How to reach	Fly to Dimapur Airport, the state's only civil airport, about 7 km from Dimapur town, with flights from Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati. Dimapur railway station is the main junction, with trains from Guwahati, Kolkata, New Delhi, Chennai and Dibrugarh. Kohima is 74 km from Dimapur by road. You can also fly to Imphal in Manipur, 142 km from Kohima.
Getting around	Shared taxis and state buses run between Dimapur and Kohima and to the district towns. Hire a car with a driver for villages, Dzukou trailheads and the long road to Mon, and drive in daylight.
Where to stay	Kohima town as a base; village homestays in Khonoma and in villages near Kisama such as Kigwema during Hornbill; Dimapur near the station; Mokokchung for the Ao country; homestays around Mon and Longwa.
How long to spend	Four or five days for Kohima, Kisama, Khonoma and Dzukou; eight to ten to add Mokokchung and Mon.
Permits	Indian visitors from outside the state need a Nagaland Inner Line Permit, applied for online at ilp.nagaland.gov.in; the domestic tourist permit costs ₹200 for 30 days as of October 2026. Dimapur, Chumoukedima and Niuland districts are now covered too. Foreign visitors need a Protected Area Permit through the e-FRRO portal (indianfrro.gov.in) and must register within 24 hours of arrival; the ILP portal also lists a foreign tourist permit at ₹500 for 30 days. In 2025 the Protected Area rule was relaxed for foreigners during Hornbill; check for 2026.

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Questions people ask

When is the Hornbill Festival?

Every year from 1 to 10 December at Kisama Heritage Village, a short drive south of Kohima. Rooms in Kohima and nearby village homestays fill early, so book well ahead.

Do I need an Inner Line Permit for Nagaland, even for Dimapur?

Yes. Indian visitors from outside the state need an ILP for all of Nagaland, including Dimapur, Chumoukedima and Niuland. Apply online at ilp.nagaland.gov.in; Dimapur applications are online only.

How do I reach Kohima?

Fly or take a train to Dimapur, then go 74 km by shared taxi, bus or hired car. Some travellers fly to Imphal and drive 142 km north instead.

Can foreigners visit Nagaland?

Yes, with a Protected Area Permit applied for on the e-FRRO portal, and registration with the Foreigners Registration Officer within 24 hours of arrival. Check the ILP portal too, as it lists a foreign tourist permit.

How many days do I need for Nagaland?

Four or five days covers Kohima, Khonoma, Kisama and a walk to Dzukou. Allow eight to ten days to add Mokokchung and Mon.

Written by Muthu, editor of Aura of India. Sources: Nagaland Inner Line Permit portal: fees and application, Tourism Nagaland, Government of Nagaland, Nagaland State Portal: people, culture and festival calendar, Kohima District, Government of Nagaland: how to reach. Last verified: 13 October 2026.

Your turn: Have you been to Hornbill? Which tribe's morung at Kisama stayed with you?